2009 NBA Preview

I love the NBA. Look, it is certainly true that the players are overpaid and too many fouls are called.  But the fact is, the best athletes in the world play in this league, and it is as exciting as any sport to watch.  I think this year especially could be something special.  You have 5 teams that have a legitimate shot to win the title, and will make for an epic playoffs.  You have the two most storied franchises, in the Celtics and Lakers, at full strength.  You have Lebron looking to avenge last years disappointment, and an overweight but motivated Shaq trying to prove he still can be the man. Don't forget about Vince Carter having a chance to play with a championship caliber team for the first time.  Will he continue to underachieve, or will being on a good team elevate his play?

In the West you have the addition of Ron Artest to an already stacked Lakers squad.  The question remains how Artest will blend in with his new teammates, and if the Lakers have the same fire they did a year ago.  You also have an under the radar Spurs team that made some outstanding additions during the offseason. I still think the Spurs are the favorite to come out of the West.

There are individual players to watch as well.  This could be the year Kevin Durant ups his game to the next level and becomes one of the top 5 players in the game. Will Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo build off there outstanding postseasons and be considered amongst the elite point guards in the league? How will KG come back from his injury, and will the addition of Rasheed Wallace be the piece that gets the Celtics another championship? Also, it remains to be seen if  Gilbert Arenas will be able to stay healthy.  I think the Wizards can be a 4 or 5 seed if Gilbert plays like he is capable of playing. A ton of questions, with the answers to be played out on the court.  Don't assume the NBA isn't as good as it used to be.  Sure the league has its problems, but it is an amazing game to watch.
Befiore I go, let's discuss a  little football and baseball.  First, congrats to the Phillies and Yankees(cringe) for making it to the World Series.  I will be on the Philly bandwagon for the next week and a half, but sadly realize there is no stopping the Yankees this year.  They remind me a lot of the 2004 Red Sox, and the Red Sox sadly remind me of the corporate robotic Yankess of the last 10 years.  I'm looking forward to being in Boston for a couple of games.  Rooting against the Yankees is almost as fun as rooting for the Red Sox.

The good news is the Redskins didn't lose yesterday.  The bad news is they play tonight.  Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if they won, because the Redskins have always played to their competition, and are better as underdogs.  Also, can anyone please explain to me why Jake Delhomme and JaMarcus Russell are still starting for their teams? I don't get this at all.  How many times do these guys have to screw up for them to be benched? The Patriots have outscored their last two opponents 94-7 which is good.  Unfortunately there last two opponents would probably lose to the Dillon Panthers at this point. I can't get over how bad some of the teams are this year.  I can't remember a year with so many teams that are just flat out terrible.

Thanks for reading everyone. Go Celtics!

Darth Snyder

The Redskins are a lot like the 1999-2001 Rams, except exactly the opposite.  I don't know if I've ever seen an offense this bad. I've certainly never seen an offense with so many playmakers play this terribly.  They are a joke of a team and should be embarrassed.  There are very few fan bases more loyal than Redskins fans, but that loyalty is being pushed to the brink right now. Skins fans are getting used and taken advantage of by Darth Snyder. 

Jim Zorn was over his head from the get go, and should have never been hired.  You don't hire a substitute 4th grade math teacher to teach Advanced Chemistry at Harvard do you? That would be silly, but is in essence what is happening here.  The rule of thumb in football is never hire a person that has never been a coordinator before. Good things rarely happen.

This isn't Zorn's fault.  If you are asked to be the head coach of the Redskins you do it, especially if you were a quarterback coach before.  This isn't Jason Campbell's fault.  Jason Campbell is a drop back passer that is not a fit for the West Coast offense.  He has a banged up offensive line and is too slow with his decision making for the quick decisions quarterbacks in that system have to make.

Also, why you spend $100 million in the offseason for a defensive tackle when your defense was already top 5 the year before is beyond me.  Why not get two offensive lineman and a receiver instead? Do your homework for god sakes! Haynesworth is a great player but has always had injury problems and plays half the snaps. The Skins defense looks pretty good this year, but it doesn' matter how good they are if they can't score a touchdown against the Chiefs. 

Thankfully I still have my Patriots.  The 59-0 thrashing of the Titans yesterday was exactly what the doctor ordered.  Look, I'm not going to say Brady is back, because honestly I don't think I've ever seen so many wide open receivers in my life. However, I'm starting to get really excited about this team.  The defense looks as good as ever, the running game is solid, and Brady to Moss is back. 

Now that the Redskins season is over, let's talk about the juggernaut that is the Saints.  I like this Saints team a lot, and think they are clearly the class of the NFC after their whupping of the Giants yesterday.  Drew Brees is the real deal.  I think what this team is doing for the city of New Orleans is great.  The fact that he is doing all this without any big name receivers makes it even more amazing.  Here is hoping the Saints continue their torrid streak.

One other note on the Redskins. I love kayaking and often pass by Dan Snyder's massive mansion on my way to the C&O Canal.  For those of you who don't know, he had hundreds of trees cut down illegally, so he could have a view of the water, and got in a ton of trouble with the federal government.  So, not only does this guy not care about the Redskins, he doesn't care about nature! I say run this guy out of town ASAP.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Don't get too upset Boston fans!

Today the Red Sox, Patriots, and Redskins all lost. I was upset for about 5 minutes then realized, you know what, life is still good. The fact is, the Red Sox weren't going to win it all this year. Also you shouldn't feel bad for a team with an $180 million payroll that has won 2 world series championships in 5 years.

Same goes for the Redskins. Look, as I said before it's all about expectations. When you go into the season with an unqualified coach, an average quarterback(who is below average because of a dismal offensive line), and a high priced free agent that plays only 50% of the snaps, this is what you get. What do Redskins fans really expect? This was always a 7-9 or 8-8 team and will continue to be mediocre until Dan Snyder leaves.

As for the Patriots, they lost a road game to a solid undefeated Broncos team. Tom Brady is still off, but the defense played pretty well. These two teams will probably end up meeting again in the playoffs and I expect the Patriots to bounce back. The Broncos are a great story, and are part of the reason this has been one of the craziest football seasons in recent memory. Who would've thought the Bengals and Broncos would be atop their divisions in mid October?

Look, this is sports people. You always have days where your teams lose, but get over it. It is going to happen a thousand more times in your life. How this took me 24 years to figure out I really don't know. Solid weekend overall. For those of you who haven't experienced the feeling of floating down the river on a fall day with pumpkin beer and Rod Stewart playing in the background, do it immediately.

Another work week tomorrow, time to rest up.

The Patriots of Old

The Patriots pulled off a huge win yesterday against the previously undefeated Ravens. They did it with defense, efficient red zone offense, and a little luck. It reminded me a lot of the Patriots of old. The 2007 New England team was an aberration, and probably something that will never be seen again. The Pats have always been a team that wins a lot of close games and plays solid defense. There defense this year is the best I've seen in awhile. If not the best, it is certainly the fastest. The fact that they are doing this without their stud linebacker Jerod Mayo is encouraging. Brady still looks rusty, but is coming around. Also, there running game is stacked, but I don't get why Maroney still plays. Everytime Sammy Morris or Fred Taylor run they get at least 4 yards. Not to mention my boy Kevin Faulk who is an automatic first down every time. I really like how this Patriots team is coming together. Once Brady gets back to about 80% of his old self we should be ready for a great run in the playoffs.

Now on to the woeful Redskins. This has to be the worst 2-2 team of all time. Maybe not the worst, but they certainly have played the worst. The good news is they are 2-2 and playing Carolina and Kansas City in the next two weeks. Can you think of an easier schedule to start a season? The defense doesn't look too bad, but this offense looks atrocious. I don't get it, they have a lot of talent but don't seem to be able to put it all together. During the 2nd half they looked a lot better, but you can't beat the Rams and Bucs, maybe the two worst teams in the league, by a combined 6 points and expect to win any NFC East games. Let's hope the Skins play like we all know they are capable of playing.

In other news the Saints look downright scary now that they have a legitimate defense. The Broncos are one of the weirdest stories in the NFL. They bring in an offensive minded coach and are supposed to have one of the worst defenses in the league. As it turns out their defense has played great, but they can't score more than 17 points. They will definitely lose next week to New England.

One non-related sports story. Saturday I took a drivers improvement class from 8-5 and it was one of the top 3 most painfully boring events I've ever been involved with. Don't speed people, trust me it is not worth it.

Thanks for reading!